


Afterhours Lesson

by HolmesianDeduction



Series: 25 Days of Holiday Fic 2k12 [4]
Category: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - All Media Types, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - John Le Carré
Genre: 25 Days of Fic, Candy, Candy Canes, Comfort, Gen, Hot Chocolate, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2012-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-20 08:58:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/583567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolmesianDeduction/pseuds/HolmesianDeduction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[25 Days of Holiday Fic: Day 4 - Candy Canes]</p><p>Bill Roach visits Jim Prideaux while waiting to go home for the winter holidays.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afterhours Lesson

             “What’re you doing out here, Jumbo?”

             Jim Prideaux’s voice caught him off-guard, as it always managed to, even though Bill Roach had long since figured out that the French teacher could spot him from almost anywhere.  When he didn’t respond, Jim continued, “Aren’t you supposed to have gone home already?”

             “I haven’t been picked up yet, sir.”  He hesitated to say by whom, not being entirely sure himself which parent was going to take him away this time.  He could feel, without looking, Jim’s measured gaze on him, and staring at his feet, swallowed hard.

             Finally, there was a soft huff and Jim rose to his feet.  “C’mon Jumbo, can’t have you catching cold out here, can we?”

             Obediently following Jim into the caravan, Bill sat down hesitantly in the low chair as Jim busied himself with the kettle, before finally mixing two mugs - one of cocoa and one of tea, the former of which he passed off to Bill with a familiarly gruff “Here you go - that should help a bit.”

             However, when he went to take a sip from his mug, Jim appeared to have a second thought and held up his hand in a staying motion.  “Hold it a moment,” and digging through his coat pocket, he produced a pair of - mercifully intact - candy canes.  “Here, try this,” unwrapping one deftly, he sunk the straight end into Bill’s mug, and when he received a blank, albeit slightly surprised look in return, he sighed patiently, “You can’t tell me you’ve never done this, Jumbo.”

             “No sir.”  Bill glanced briefly to the candy floating in his mug, but otherwise kept his gaze rooted to Jim’s face.

             Shaking his head and muttering something about “the things boys don’t know any more,” Jim gestured with one finger to the peppermint.  “You stir with it, Jumbo - makes the whole thing taste like it.  Try it.”

             Somewhat reluctantly, Bill obeyed, peeking every now and then to watch the stripes gradually disappear from the candy’s surface.  Equally often, he stole glances at Jim, who ate his own in what, to Bill’s mind, was an alarming methodical fashion, stripping one portion of the candy down until it was gleaming white and brittle and only moving on to the next once it had snapped and dissolved in his mouth.

             Eventually, they finished their candy and their mugs, and standing again, Jim took Bill’s mug and placed it on the cold stove.  “C’mon Jumbo.  We’d best get you back up there before someone turns up for you and no one knows where you went, eh?”


End file.
